"Working for free for 14 months is mind-boggling!"

There is a stalemate on board several vessels of the Turkish company Palmali. The seafarers have worked for 10-14 months, but their employer does not repatriate them, they have earned money, but they are not paid. For example, crews on board the vessels Captain Nagdaliyev, Agdash and Caspian Mariner have a total debt of about $680,000. The seafarers asked for help, because in fact the shipowner abandoned the crews. 

Olga Ananina, an ITF in the port of Novorossiysk, said that the problems of the Captain Nagdaliyev and Agdash crews are handled by the ITF coordinator in the Arab countries, Mohamed Arrachedi. According to her, he is making every possible effort to help the seafarers, but there are really a lot of problems on the Palmali vessels.

Thus, Agdash has run out of all registration documents, including the insurance certificate, and Captain Nagdaliyev has one ton of drinking water left. Meanwhile, the Palmali stopped responding to the desperate calls of the crews.  Here's what the seafarers of the tanker Agdash, which is located at the anchorage of the Suez Canal, tell: "the Company did not pay wages for the entire period of the voyage. Deck officers are not paid for 9-14 months, engine crew for 7-9 months, ratings for 7-13 months. Palmali violates the Maritime Labour Convention in terms of repatriation and payment of wages. We understand that in the context of the COVID 19 pandemic crew rotation is difficult, so we continue to perform our duties on board, but our families need money."

On board the m/v Captain Nagdaliyev the situation is even worse as it’s complicated by the fact that the tanker has been under arrest in the port of Beirut since may 12, 2020 for Palmali's debts to the bunkering company. «Crewmembers do not receive wages for the entire period of service, many of them remain on board for  4, 6 and 10 months and the contracts have been  expired, – say the seafarer. The Ch. Officer and second mate have not yet received money for previous contracts that they worked out in 2019». When the crewmembers asked to make a payment and provide a replacement the company did not give any specific information and then began to put pressure and threatens. The ship is supplied with diesel fuel for 20 days, fresh water for one day, but the management does not even inform about the supply the vessel.

On board the m/v Caspian Mariner, which is located at the anchorage of the Turkish port of Yalova waiting for mooring for scheduled repairs, situation is also bad. «Our families are in a difficult situation and do not have the means to survive during the pandemic. To date 13 crewmembers have been working on board the tanker for 11-14 months. We don't get paid all this time.  Two seafarers remain on board more than 14 months. In addition, one of us needs medical treatment. There is no air conditioning or fans on board and the air temperature rises above 30 degrees Celsius during the day and is 28-30 degrees at night.»  According to the ITF inspector Olga Ananina, in addition to the listed vessels with a huge multi-month debt, other vessels of the company, including Shovket Alekperova, Olga Golovushkina, Gobustan are abandoned at the anchorage of Istanbul. 

It should be noted that recently one member of the crew of the m/v Baltic Mariner, which called  Novorossiysk, managed to achieve payment of the debt. By the time the vessel called the port, the crew consisted of Russian and Azerbaijan seafarers, had not received a salary for 10 months, says O. Ananina.  The company intimidated the crew and forced them to sign false statements about wages that the seafarers allegedly already received so it has left almost no chance to prove the fact of violation of the contract. However, of the entire crew of the Baltic Mariner, the only woman, who served on board as the cook, proved to be brave and asked for assistance.  So we delivered  her request to the marine administration and the company transferred her $11,571 in cash just after the port control inspectors boarded. Cook, a resident of Rostov, was signed off and sent to observator in Anapa for 14 days. After that, she safely got home. Meanwhile, Baltic Mariner proceeded to Turkey with many months of debts to the remaining crewmembers on board.

The Seafarers Union of Russia recommends that the Palmali fleet employees not repeat the sad experience of their colleagues and seek help in obtaining outstanding wage and organizing repatriation at the nearest port of call, especially if the country has ratified the MLC.

- Working for free for 14 months is mind-boggling! - says Olga Ananina.